Street car signaling device



April 2, 1935.

c. WALKER STREET CAR SIGNALING JEVICE Filed June 22, 1932 2 sheets-sheet 1 April 2, 1935. c. WALKER 1,995,662

STREET CAR SIGNALING DEVICE Filed June 22, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet gg 6T @um/Mags Patented Apr. 2, 1935 pgp.-"n:gmtorties] ff VSTREET oAnsIGNALING Davies i `Charles `Walker, Knox'y'ille, "lenn. f s. 'ApplieainitrJune`az;1sz, serial No. 618,641 t. solaires. (orte-55) rMyinvention consists in new. and useful improvementsrin a signalingdevice Vused in connectifonvvithY street cars, busesandjother passenger vehicles t'o indicate tothe passengers the names ofthe `streets as they are crossed bythe vehicle.

1t -is the-object of `myinve'n tiori"tohlgirovide an eleetricallykcontrolled indicating` unit located in the passenger compartment'jof a v'el1icle` auto,-

Y matically operated vby a` remotely 'located'mecha-'- All-.tfiother -objectoffmy 4invention is tofproyide a mechanism controlled by the' motormanoroperator of the vehicle fordsimultaneouslylactuating theindicatingunit. 1 j Y Astill further object'ofjmy'invention resides in the combination with a mechanically actuated indicating devicefor'the operator of the vehicle, of

an electrically controlled indicatingunit for the n passenger compartmentthe latter being actuated through `them'edium of and to a corresponding extent, with the mechanically operated device.

With the above and other objects inL view which will appear-as the description proceeds, vmyjinv vention consists inthe novel 'features' herein setforth,"illustrated inl the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in theappendedcla'jl'ns.` j i ,I Referring. to therdrawings in which numerals of the vseveral Views, Y

Fig. 1 is alongitudinal Vertical section through the front end ofA Va streetcar-showing .theindieating unitand'controlling mechanism in-place;

like character designate-similari parts throughout 30 l f, Fig. 2` isafront elevation of the-indicating vunitV with theoperating mechanism shown in ldotted lines. Y i f f Fig. .3^'is afront elevation of the controlling mechanism.

, Fig; 4 isasection taken'along lines 4-4 of Fig.v l.

Fig. 5 is a topplan View of the mechanism shown inFig.3,'andi w w Fig. :6 is a fragmentaryv detail of Vth'ebelt carry-V ing the names oithe streets. I f A' In the drawings, referringwparticularly vto Fig. l, numeral I indicates thefloor of a Streetcar on which is .mounted a conventional control box 2.` Apair"oi'x/'erticallyV extending brackets 3 suit-f ablylsecured Ato rsaidcontrol box` 2 areV drilled transversely adj acent'their.upper'extremities .and

adaptedv .to support autransverse shaft 4 vandaform bearings therefor. .A drum `Sgxed tothe shaft' 4 carries a` plurality ,ofl indicia of the names ofthe streets crossed bythe ystreet car, 4saidydrum surrounded bya housingproyided with an open-r ying or'lwindow 48 to present the name of the street to the view of the operator. Adjacent one end' ofthe drum 5 I provide a 'pnon'gear 6 also keyed to the shaft 4 to cause the rotationy of the shaft and drum as hereinafter set forth. l A second transverse shaft I supported nbear-r ingsormed'by the vbrackets 3 and located at a 'suitable point below the/shaft 4 extends Leut?y Y toward said ratchets byfsuitabl'e spring members` I3a,and lHIfLres'pectively,v carriedby the'yoke l2. Springs 'I5 and I6 normally hold 'the-rods I3 and I4', respectively, iniV inoperative position, withltl'ie teeth on` the rodsy outfof engagement-With the respective "ratchet wheels. It will be 'observed that rod I3 lies above ratchetwheel 9, 'Whilerod I4 liesjbeneath ratchet wheel IUJI l y The inner endsl'land I8 of the respectiverods I3 and` I4 are 4.adapted to contact 'electrodes vI9 and 20, respectively. l,These electrodes are suitably mounted onthe front wall '2I v'of the street car at a Ypoint below the windoWZZ, for the pur.- pose hereinafter set forth.. if At a suitable 'point'on the wall 23 which.sepa,

- ratesthe motomnan compartmentfrom the'passenger compartment, I, mount a housing 24101' the: 'indicating unit. vDisposed transversely within saidhousing ris azshaftjZS reducedfad' jacent its extremities'to tin bearings 26 formed by the side wallsiof lthehousim; 24, said shaft carrying a 2l, the opposite-extremities of which areprovided with sprocket wheels'ZB.

Also disposed transversely within said housing 24 atA a Suitable point below the Shaft 2.5.41

provide a Vsecondshaft, '29 carrying va also provided with sprocket wheels 3l. `endless belt "32 carryingaplurality of indicia cor` responding to the indicia on the drumlfS, is adapted .to travel around the two vdru'ni's'Zl and 3B, 'perforations 33 being provided. along'jtherr longitudinaledges of said endless"` belt toV engage the sprockets 23 land `3 I, respectively, tofinsiireV positive .rotation of the belt.

As shown in'rig'. 4,' the' shaft 25 carries,

ratchet wheels 34 and 35 with the teeth of the respective ratchets extending in opposite directions.

Referring back to Fig. l, it will be seen that I provide two vertically spaced longitudinally extending lbrackets 36 and 31r secured to the rear wall of the housing 24 by means of screws 38, said brackets 36 and 31 being vertically drilled to slidably support oppositely disposed resilient pawl rods 39 and 40,1pawl rod 39 beingadapted to engage the ratchet35, and pawl rod v4I! to engage ratchet 34. Springs"4| and 42 suitably mounted on the pawl rods 39 and 4I), respectively, in abutting relation with the adjacent surfaces of the respective brackets 36 and 31, normally. hold said pawl rods in inoperative position with their. teeth out of engagement with the ratchet'wheels.

The pawl members 39 and '4 9 yterminates at one j end in armatures 39a and 40a and are actuated by electro-magnets 43 and 44, respectively, located belt 32V to enable'thepassengers to see the names of .the'streets as the drums 21 and 3l'rotate.V

` The opposite lends fof the respective'pawl rods 39 and 40 project through suitable openings the brackets 36 'and 31, said openings being provided with spring' members v45 and 46 interposed between the outer surfaces of thepawl rods and thek adjacent4 surfaces, 4of the brackets, said springs'normally tending to retain the pawlr'ods in' position for engagement Vwith 'the respective ratchet wheels'34'and 35. j 'Having thus described the construction ofY my invention,`its operation is 'as follows:-

lAssuming thatr the streety car Vis about tov begin its run down town and that Jackson is the first street crossed. 4`After 'crossing Jacksonstreet,

the motormanwill push rod I4 inwardly against the action of` the Vspring .I B, the teeth on said rod engaging the teeth on the ratchet I,0,"a`n'd vthrough the medium ofgears 6 and 8, will rotate the drum 5 one .degreeinj clockwise direction and bring the nameof' the second street (Clark) opposite -the window 48. Simultaneously 4with thisoperation, the contact of the' inner end I1 ofthe rod I4 with the electrode I9 completes the .circuit tothe electro-magnet 43,U energizing the same 4and actuating the pawl -39 downwardly, .the teeth on Athe latter' engaging ratchet 35, vthus rotating the drum None-degree in'clockwise direction and' bringing the name of 'the nextstreetA (Clark) intov view. It willV be noted that the electromagnet is only` momentarily energized since the release 4of the rod I4` will cause thel same to be brought back to normal position by the 'action of the spring I 6 and will immediately'break the circuit, the spring. lI4a permitting the yrod I4 to. slideV pastthe teeth on the ratchet. Simultaneously with this. operation,`the `springy4| returns thepawl 39 to its normal inoperative position, spring 46 permitting thelteeth Von 'said pawl to slide past the ratchet teeth to a position out of engagement therewitnfhis operation is re-l peated throughout the entire'down town run' of the vehicle.`

' v Upon the' .completionvof the down town run v and on the return trip of the vehicle to its starting point, the motormanwill successive'lyjpush` the rod I3 inwardly' as .each street Vis crossed,

direction. As before stated, the teeth on ratchet wheel 9 are oppositely disposed from those on ratchet I0 so that a reverse action takes place upon the operation of the rod I3. The inner end I8 of the rod I3 contacts electrode 2U and completesv the circuit to the electro-magnet 44, energizing the same. In this operation of the device, the pawl 40 will be moved upwardly and the teethwill slip over the ratchet wheel 34 against the pressure of the spring 42, `and upon the release ofthe p ushrod I3, theelectro-magnet 44 will be deenergi'zed. The action of the spring 42 will then force the pawl 4l! back to its normal position, causing the teeth on the pawl 40 to en- .gagethe ratchet'34 and rotate the same one degree, which in turn rotates the drum 21 in counterclockwise direction a like distance, bring- .inglthepnext street. into view.

While Ihave shown and described the belt 32"carrying a plurality of indicia, as being endless and rotating4 about two drums, it will be observed that thisbelt may be composedof along strip..with`its Vfreeiends adapted to.lie in receptac1es"`provided inl the bottom oftheY housing .24.`

In fact,my invention contemplates any` type of.`

indicating device adapted to beemployed in the combination herein yset forth, land I do not in-4 tend to" limit myself to any of specific details illustrated.

' twill be further noted thatwhile I have shown this device as applied to .astreetlfthesame may Vbeusedinl connectionV `with any passenger vehicle with" equal effect.

From the foregoing it is believed that the con-V struction and operationof invention may be readily understood by those skilled in the art Without further description, it being borne in mind that numerous changes maybe made in the details disclosed Without departing from the` spirit ofv theinvention as set forth therfollowing claims. l v

MWhat is claimed s, .l .l

1;. Alpassenger vehicle ,signaling devicecomprising an indicator located adjacent the vehicle controller, a second indicating device. located in the passenger compartment-of said vehicle, said first named indicator comprising a rotary'drum carrying aA plurality of indicia arranged'successively `to represent theA streets traversed by said vehicle, a ratchet operatively'connected with said drum, an operating member provided with a pawl adapted tojengage said ratchet, said. sec-1 said drums are caused .to rotate, simultaneously to `present, corresponding .indicia .to view.

2. lAV vpassenger vehicle `signaling device as claimed in claim. 1 wherein each of said indicator drums .is enclosed a casing, .said casings .being provided with Windows through which said indiciav aresuccessively presented to view.'v l I 3. A 'passenger vehicle signaling device as claimed in-claim 1 wherein each of saidindicator drums is enclosed in a casing, saidcasings being provided.f with windows `through which said indiciaare vsuccessively presented to view, at least i' one of said indicators including an elongated flexible tape carrying said indicia, said tape passing over the respective drum, and means whereby the rotation of said drum will advance said tape to successively display the individual indicia thereon.-

4. A passenger vehicle signaling device as claimed in claim 1 wherein each ofsaid indit catorsris provided with two ratchets, one adapted to rotate the respective drum in one direction,

and the other to rotate-said drum in the opposite direction, and separate operating members g and pawls for the respective ratchets.y

p said indicator including a housing provided with a window, a drum mounted horizontally in said housing adjacent said window, an elongated'ilexible tape passing over said drum and carrying a plurality of indicia successively arranged to correspond with the streets traversed by said vehicle, a ratchet operatively connected to said drum, an operating member provided with a pawl L adapted to engage said ratchet to rotate said means located adjacent the controller Vof said vehicle for energizing said electro-magnets, said lastnamed means including a second indicator adapted to display to the operator, .indicia cor-d responding to that displayed by said first indicator. y v

CHARLES WALKER. 

